Light sensors may include, but are not limited to, light emitting sensors that transmit light, or light detecting sensors that detect light. Light sensors may send and/or receive a beam a light for taking a measurement, such as measuring a distance. Light Detection and Ranging, often referred to as LIDAR, is just one example of a light sensor. LIDAR uses a light emitting sensor to transmit a laser light beam through a primary lens. The primary lens spreads the laser light beam across a field of view. A light detecting sensor detects the returning laser light beam that is reflected from a target. The LIDAR system calculates the distance to the target based on the time delay between the transmitted and the received laser light pulses.
The accuracy of the scan in part depends on the number of data points collected. Accordingly, LIDAR systems may include many lasers to generate a higher data point density or resolution, thereby providing increased accuracy. However, increasing the number of lasers increases the cost and complexity of the LIDAR system. Additionally, extraneous light on the light detecting sensor may reduce the accuracy of the scan. Accordingly, the light detecting sensor may filter or block out extraneous light, such as sunlight, to increase the accuracy of the measurement. In order to reduce the affect of extraneous light on the light detecting sensor, the light detecting sensor may include an array of individual light detectors, with each individual light detector having a small area of interest, instead of one light detector having a larger area of interest. However, increasing the number of light detectors increases the cost and complexity of the LIDAR system.